Region senator files proposal to legalize recreational marijuana use in Indiana

State Senator Karen Tallian is leading an uphill battle in the conservative state of Indiana to push for the legalization of recreational marijuana. Despite the potential difficulty of passing the more liberal bill in the republican-run legislature, she knows that cannabis is now more accepted than ever and a recent poll of random Hoosiers showed that 8 out of 10 adults support either medical or recreational cannabis legalization. Senator Tallian submitted two cannabis bills, one to legalize the possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis for adults and another that would regulate the cannabis and hemp industry by creating the Cannabis Compliance Commission. Indiana already has plenty of stores selling CBD products but there is no current form of proper regulation for the product. The senator is also working on a bill to establish a comprehensive medical marijuana bill beyond just the legal CBD currently available. 

If Senate Bill 213 next year becomes law, Indiana would join Michigan, and likely Illinois, as Great Lakes states that have eliminated criminal penalties for adult marijuana use.

Tallian knows she faces an uphill battle to win approval for her proposal in the Republican-controlled General Assembly